“Volvos have long been premium products, having built a reputation on exceptional durability, meticulous engineering, and of course, safety”
That was then, this is now. Oh wait; that’s now too– at least according to our friends over at Autoblog. Scribe Dan Roth offers the testimonial upon hearing the news that Volvo’s COO is spinning faster than a supersonic dradle. “”We want to continue to compete with Mercedes, BMW and Audi,” Steven Armstrong, Volvo’s COO tells Automotive News [sub]. “We’re working to improve the premium-ness of the brand and our products.” Shouldn’t that be premiumnessosity? And who considers Volvo an alternative to a Merc, Bimmer or Audi? You know; other than Autoblog? Not U.S. consumers apparently. “Volvo sold 458,323 units worldwide last year, of which 106,213 were sold in the United States. Volvo’s U.S. sales peaked at 139,067 units in 2004, but they are expected to fall to around 95,000 this year.” While we await the Swedish brand’s long-denied sale, we’re left wondering about Roth’s comprehension and sentence construction skills. “The possibility of building its cars in the United States might bring prices down [Ed: the possibility will bring prices down?] and allow better developed performance versions, versus the outclassed R models of the past,” Roth contends. “The issue is not quite as high on the agenda as it was in January,” Armstrong said.